SPORTS 5-14

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

As it stands with the regular season winding down, NCAA regional tournaments would take place in both Corvallis and Eugene.

The Beavers have an RPI of 17, while the Ducks start the day right on the cut line at number 20.

Number 7 Oregon State welcomes the Airforce Academy to Goss for a series starting tonight.

The Beavs are looking for style points to convince voters and swing the metrics in their post-season favor.

Number 16 Oregon hosts a huge top 20 matchup against 17^th ranked USC starting tonight.

UO trails the Trojans by one game in the Big 10, with tournament seeding implications on the line.

SOFTBALL:

The Ducks are preparing to host the NCAA Tournament Eugene regional at Jane Sanders Stadium starting tomorrow as the 14^th overall seed with Mississippi State, Saint Mary’s, and Idaho State.

Fire To Host Liberty

The Fire will be back in action tonight. Portland will host their second straight games against the Liberty at home. Portland beat New York 98-96 Tuesday on a last-second shot by Sarah Ashlee Barker. In other news, the team signed former Oregon guard Holly Winterburn to a developmental contract on Wednesday. Winterburn played one season for the Ducks before returning to her home country of England.

MLS Round Up

The MLS season continued last night. The Timbers played Montreal CF to a two-two tie on the road. Kevin Kelsy and Cole Bassett each scored for Portland. The Sounders beat the San Jose Earthquakes three to two at home. Albert Rusnák scored on a penalty kick before Jesus Ferreira and Osaze De Rosario added a goal each.

LOCAL:

Lace up your sneakers and wear pink: the 3rd Annual Speak Up Pink Duck 5K is Sunday, June 7, 2026 at 11:00 AM at the Athletic Club of Bend. It’s a benefit for IN OUR BACKYARD.

It’s the 50^th anniversary of the PPP!

The Selco Pole Pedal Paddle is Saturday.

Bend’s Jesse Thomas, 4 x elite winner and former pro-triathlete tells me the founders, Dave and Jenny Sheldon had insight in bringing the Pole Pedal Paddle to Central Oregon way back in 1976.

“Just a testament to the town too, you know, of just like keeping this very cool, very unique, very like bend, bend-ish event going for 50 years. I think it's just a, it's just a really cool deal, something to be super proud of as a community, I think.”

The Sheldon’s held the race as a fundraiser for the Skyliners Ski Club, now the Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.

Learn more about MBSEF and sign up to volunteer at PPP Bend dot com.

SPORTS 5-13

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Number 7 Oregon State got a win over Portland last night (Tu).

OSU needs all the wins they can get as they make a case to host a regional in Corvallis.

The Beavers continue the homestand with the Airforce Academy visiting for a series starting tomorrow.

Number 16 Oregon is readying for their top 25 matchup against 17^th ranked USC starting tomorrow.

UO trails the Trojans by one game in the standings heading into game one of the three game series.

Both teams are battling to stay in the top four in the Big 10 and claim a spot in the single-elimination bracket.

SOFTBALL:

The University of Oregon finished the regular season ranked 12^th by the coaches and 13^th in Softball America.

The Ducks are preparing to host the NCAA Tournament Eugene regional as the 14^th overall seed.

[It’s Ducks, Bulldogs, Gaels, and Bengals Friday from Jane Sanders Stadium. have Mississippi State, Saint Mary’s, and Idaho State at Jane Sanders Stadium starting Friday.

Oregon State’s Jaeya Butler has been named West Coast Conference Player of the Year.

Starting each of the Beavers' 53 games this season, Butler shattered the program's single season records for home runs (23), RBI (61), total bases (157) and slugging percentage (.882) and led the WCC in all of those categories.

Fire Win First Ever Game Over Liberty 

The Fire won their first game in franchise history. Sarah Ashlee Barker made a put-back as time expired to give Portland a 98-96 win over the New York Liberty. Bridget Carleton led the team with 26 points and Carla Leite added 21 of her own in the victory. The teams will face off again on Thursday.

LOCAL:

The Oregon High Desert Classics returns to Bend July 8 through 12 at J Bar J Boys Ranch.

This popular hunter-jumper show brings top riders from the U.S. and Canada for one week of competition, rather than the previous two-week event.

Spectators are welcome to enjoy the action, shop at local vendor booths, and support J Bar J Youth Services.

It’s the 50^th anniversary of the PPP!

The Selco Pole Pedal Paddle is Saturday.

7x winner Marshall Greene handicaps the men’s elite category.

Learn more about MBSEF and sign up to volunteer at PPP Bend dot com.

SPORTS 5-12

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Poll-a-palooza

Oregon State’s road sweep at Long Beach State and Portland sees them move as high as number six in the Writers’ poll, 7^th by D1 Baseball, The Coaches, and Baseball America. It’s five for five in the top 10 of the polls with a number 9 by Perfect Game.

The Beavs are back in Corvallis against Portland tonight (Tu).

Oregon’s quality showing against number 1 UCLA gave them a rankings boost.

Perfect Game likes them at 11^th, the Coaches and Writers have them 15^th, D1 Baseball ranking is 16^th, and its 23^rd in Baseball America.

The Ducks are back at PK Park this week for the regular season conference finale with another top 25 matchup against 17^th ranked USC starting Thursday.

SOFTBALL:

The University of Oregon hosts the NCAA Tournament Eugene regional. The 14^th seeded Ducks have Mississippi State, Saint Mary’s, and Idaho State at Jane Sanders Stadium starting Friday.

LOCAL:

It’s the 50^th anniversary of the PPP!

The Selco Pole Pedal Paddle is Saturday.

The race was a fundraiser for local youth outdoor sports from the beginning.

4-time PPP champion and former coach Dennis Oliphant talks about the impact the race has for the Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.

“With all the other events they put on cycling events and ski races and stuff, it, it was a good driver.

It was a perfect fit for me as an organization to be a part of because it represented both kids and, you know, a rural economy.”

Learn more about MBSEF and sign up to volunteer at PPP Bend dot com.

Fire To Host Liberty:

The Fire are searching for their first ever victory.  Portland will welcome the New York Liberty to town tonight.  The Fire opened the season with a 98-83 home loss to the Chicago Sky last week.  Carla Leite scored a team-high 18 points in that matchup.  In other news, the team waived guard Jordan Harrison and activated forward Kamiah Smalls.

SPORTS 5-11

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

10^TH ranked Oregon State got a road sweep at Long Beach State slugging and pitching their way to three commanding wins.

The Beavs are back in Corvallis against Portland tomorrow (Tu).

Number 13 Oregon gave all unanimous number 1 UCLA wanted but came up short in yesterday’s series rubber-match giving up a five-run lead in yesterday’s game three.

The Ducks four straight series winning streak snaps but are still a respectable 18 – 9 in the Big 10.

The U of O is back at PK Park this week for the regular season conference finale with another top 25 matchup against 18^th ranked USC.

SOFTBALL:

Oregon State won two of three in Southern California to take down Loyola Marymount in the final series of the season, concluding the Beavers time in the West Coast Conference, going back to the Pac 12 next season.

LOCAL:

It’s the 50^th anniversary of the PPP!

The Selco Pole Pedal Paddle is Saturday.

Deadline to enter is today (Mon).

It’s a benefit for the Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.

PPP Race Director Marieka Greene says plenty of course volunteers are needed, especially with replacing the opening skiing legs at Mt Bachelor.

“So, the first one will have some elevation gain. We're calling it the mountain run. It'll be a little bit harder, about 2.8 miles, and then the next one we're calling the fun run. It's, it's relatively flat. It's going to be 1.2 miles.

Sign up to race by today, or volunteer at PPP Bend dot com.

DUCK FOOTBALL:

The Big Ten announced its Friday night schedule for the fall. Oregon will face off with Portland State on September 18 and its lone Friday conference game will take place on November 20 at Michigan State. 

MLS Round Up:

The MLS season continued over the weekend. The Timbers crushed Sporting Kansas City 6-0 at home. Kevin Kelsy scored a pair of goals to lead Portland, while Kristoffer Velde, Cole Bassett and Ariel Lassiter added one each. The Sounders played San Diego FC to a 1-1 tie. Danny Musovski scored the tying goal for Seattle in the 80th minute.

SPORTS 5-8

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Number 13 Oregon is preparing for a big series at unanimous number 1 UCLA today (Fr).

The Ducks, are winners of four straight Big 10 series, and have lost only one in 17 series since joining the Big 10. However, the Bruins are undefeated at 24 – 0 in the conference and 44 – 4 overall.

The first of three games at Jackie Robinson stadium starts tonight.

10^TH ranked Oregon State is on the road for a series at Long Beach State starting this afternoon.

The Beavers will be without usual Friday starter Dax Whitney, out for the season with elbow surgery.

OSU will need to put together a good showing, that is lots of runs on the board, and keeping pitchers’ earned runs low to bump up its RPI against the 17 – 29 Dirt Bags.

SOFTBALL:

No. 11 ranked Oregon was upset yesterday coming in as the number two seed in this week’s Big 10 tournament. The Ducks lost by one run to seventh-seeded Wisconsin.

The U of O expects to have a decent seed in the NCAA tournament Regionals according to coach Melyssa Lombardi.

Oregon State beat Loyola Marymount in game one of their series.

U of O FOOTBALL:

The Oregon football team added to its 2027 recruiting class. Four-star offensive lineman Gus Corsair committed to the Ducks on Thursday. The Hays, Kansas native chose UO over offers from Miami and Vanderbilt, among others.

WNBA:

The Fire will play the first game in franchise history this weekend. Portland will face off with the Chicago Sky on Saturday at home. The WNBA returns to the Rose City for the first time since 2002, when the previous iteration of the Portland Fire completed their third season.

LOCAL:

The Happy Girls Bend race is tomorrow. The Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K races begin and end at Riverbend Park.  The day also includes the Happy Little Kids Run. Visit bendraces.com.

It’s the 50^th anniversary of the PPP!

The Selco Pole Pedal Paddle is Saturday the 16^th.

Bend’s Zoe Roy, an accomplished Nordic skier won the women’s elite category five times in a row, and had numerous other podium finishes, including one year with her mom, Muffy Roy, herself a two-time elite women’s winner.

It’s a benefit for the Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.

Deadline to enter is Monday the 11^th.

Sign up to race or volunteer at PPP Bend dot com.

SPORTS 5-7

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

10^TH ranked Oregon State is up a spot in the RPI ranking this week to number 14 with two series left and no conference tournament for the Independent Beavers.

OSU continues on the road for a series at Long Beach State starting tomorrow.

Number 13 Oregon is preparing for a big series against unanimous number 1 UCLA tomorrow (Fr).

The Ducks, one of the top teams in the Big 10, have a 27 RPI.

SOFTBALL:

No. 11 ranked Oregon is the number two seed in this week’s Big 10 tournament.

The Ducks play today (Th) against seventh-seeded Wisconsin at 1:30 our time from College Park, Maryland.

Oregon State is in Southern California to take on Loyola Marymount for a series starting today.

MLS ROUNDUP:

The MLS season continues on Saturday. The Timbers will take on Sporting Kansas City at Providence Park. Portland is in 13th place in the Western Conference.

PORTLAND FIRE:

The Fire made a pair of trades ahead of the regular season. Portland sent forward Chloe Bibby to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for the rights to guard Julia Ayrault. The team also sent guard Maya Caldwell to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for a 2028 third round pick. The Fire begin their season Saturday with a home game against the Chicago Sky.

LOCAL:

Central Oregon Community College’s four-mile Jungle Run is today, and the two-mile, 465-step Storm the Stairs is May 19. Both are scholarship fundraisers for COCC. Register at cocc.edu/sports

It’s the 50^th anniversary of the PPP! The Selco Pole Pedal Paddle is Saturday the 16^th.

It’s a benefit for the Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.

4 X Elite Winner in the early 80s, and multiple podium finisher Dennis Oliphant tells me the PPP was a hit right from the start. And quickly grew into a destination for adventure sport athletes

Deadline to enter is Monday the 11^th.

Sign up to race or volunteer at PPP Bend dot com.

SPORTS 5-6

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

10^TH ranked Oregon State got all they wanted from the Portland Pilots last night at the new Hillsboro Hops Ballpark.

But the Beavers broke through in the 12^th inning to get the midweek win 6 - 4.

OSU continues on the road for a series at Long Beach State on Friday.

Number 13 Oregon is preparing for big series against unanimous number 1 UCLA starting Friday.

SOFTBALL:

No. 11 ranked Oregon is the number two seed in this week’s Big 10 tournament.

The Ducks play tomorrow (Th) against the winner of seventh-seeded Wisconsin and 10th-seeded Purdue.

NBA:

The Trail Blazers coaching search continues.

According to published reports Portland has a list of almost 20 candidates.

There were unsubstantiated rumors the team is looking to pay a salary of one-million dollars a year.

The NBA’s lowest paid coach is Sacramento’s Doug Christie at 2-million annually.

Interim coach Tiago Splitter has stated he intends to vie for the job; several players have vouched for the long-time assistant, and support making him the permanent leader.

According to league sources, owner Tom Dundon and GM Joe Cronin have not made a hiring timeline known.

Portland currently doesn’t have any picks in June’s NBA Draft.

LOCAL:

Central Oregon Community College’s four-mile Jungle Run is tomorrow, and the two-mile, 465-step Storm the Stairs is May 19. Both are scholarship fundraisers for COCC. Register at cocc.edu/sports

It’s the 50^th anniversary of the PPP! The Selco Pole Pedal Paddle is Saturday the 16^th.

It’s a benefit for the Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.

Deadline to sign up for the race is Monday the 11^th.

Sign up to race or volunteer at PPP Bend dot com.

SPORTS 5-5

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Poll-a-palooza.

Oregon is ranked 8^th by Perfect Game, number 13 in the D1 Baseball dot com poll, 14^th in the Coaches poll, 15 by the Writers, and 23^rd in Baseball America.

The Ducks play unanimous number 1 UCLA in a series starting Friday.

Oregon State is ranked 7^th in Baseball America and the Writers’ poll, 8^th in the Coaches poll,10^th by D1 Baseball dot com and Perfect Game.

OSU has a midweek matchup with Portland tonight when the Beavers and Pilots meet at the new Hillsboro Hops Ballpark

SOFTBALL:

No. 11 ranked Oregon has the conference player of the week in slugger Stefini Ma’ake.

The sophomore is the 2^nd Duck player to receive that honor this season. The U of O is the number two seed in this week’s Big 10 tournament starting Thursday.

NBA:

The Trail Blazers could trade Jrue Holiday this offseason according to various reports.

Holiday and Jerami Grant have two of the largest veteran contracts on the team.

LOCAL:

The Happy Girls Bend race is Saturday. The Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K races begin and end at Riverbend Park.  The day also includes the Happy Little Kids Run. Sign up at bendraces.com.

It’s the 50^th anniversary of the PPP! The Selco Pole Pedal Paddle is Saturday the 16^th.

It’s a benefit for the Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.

Deadline to sign up for the race is Monday the 11^th.

Former race director Molly Kelly tells me moving from Drake Park to the Old Mill District in the early 2000s helped scale up the PPP

MBSEF is having a PPP Trivia Night tonight (Tu) at Crux Fermentation Project in Bend, co-hosted by Molly.

Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite PPP T-shirt and bring their favorite PPP Mug starting at 5:30 this afternoon.

SPORTS 5-4

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Number 13 Oregon took two of three in Seattle to beat Washington and win another Big 10 series.

Number 6 Oregon State won their series over Cal State Northridge but received deflating news learning stand-out pitcher Dax Whitney will miss the rest of the season with elbow surgery.

SOFTBALL:

No. 11 Oregon won their series against No. 5 UCLA on the final weekend of the regular season, earning the Ducks the number two seed in this week’s Big 10 tournament.

MLS:

The MLS regular season continued over the weekend. The Timbers were shut out 2-0 by Real Salt Lake on the road. James Pantemis was forced to make 13 saves in the Portland setback.

LOCAL:

Central Oregon Community College’s four-mile Jungle Run is Thursday, and the two-mile, 465-step Storm the Stairs is May 19. Both are scholarship fundraisers for COCC. Register at cocc.edu/sports

It’s the 50^th anniversary of the PPP! The Selco Pole Pedal Paddle is Saturday the 16^th.   Bend local Jesse Thomas, former pro-triathlete, and 4-time men’s elite winner joked with me on just how much the PPP means locally.  It’s a benefit for the Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation. Deadline to sign up for the race is next Monday the 11^th.

SPORTS 5-1

NBA:

The Trail Blazers look forward to having Damian Lillard back in uniform next season. General Manager Joe Cronin spoke at length yesterday during the team’s exit interviews following Tuesday’s playoff ouster to San Antonio.

Cronin mentioned getting better on outside shooting, and continuing to develop the young players on the roster.

As far as the status on interim coach Tiago Splitter, Cronin indicated he is a candidate to keep the job, but said they are “casting a wide net to get to know a lot of different coaches”.

U of O MBB:

The Oregon men's basketball team added yet another transfer to its roster. Former Arizona forward Dwayne Aristode committed to the Ducks on Thursday. Aristode appeared in 35 games off the bench for the Wildcats, averaging three-point-eight points and one-point-seven rebounds in over 13 minutes.

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Number 6 Oregon State will try to shake off the mid-week split with UT – Rio Grande Valley when they host Cal State Northridge for a three-game series starting tonight.

The Beavers will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the program's 2006 National Championship.

Number 13 Oregon is on the road in Seattle to take on Washington for a three-game series beginning tonight.

SOFTBALL:

No. 11 Oregon visits No. 5 UCLA on the final weekend of the regular season with both teams in the hunt for the Big Ten title.

LOCAL:

The Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) is having a Pole Pedal Paddle at a PPP Trivia Night this Tuesday, May 5, at 5:30 at Crux Fermentation Project in Bend.

Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite PPP T-shirt and bring their favorite PPP Mug.

The Happy Girls Bend race is at Riverbend Park next Sat, May 9, The Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K races begin and end at Riverbend Park.  The day also includes the Happy Little Kids Run. Sign up at bendraces.com.